German Partnership Delivers Modern Facility
After twenty-one months of construction, Lainya County unveiled a modern agricultural cooperative store financed by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office in partnership with the NGOs ACROSS and Christian Blind Mission, marking a new chapter for farmers in Central Equatoria.
The project, launched in March 2023, cost undisclosed but modest funds compared with its anticipated impact on produce handling, storage, and sales.
Boosting Market Access for Smallholders
Commissioner Robert John Lasu Morris says the store creates a single doorway to inputs such as seeds, tools, and fertilizers while offering a clean, secure outlet for maize, groundnuts, and vegetables.
Local agronomists expect post-harvest losses to fall sharply, citing easier aggregation and quicker transport toward Juba markets.
Economic Ripples for Central Equatoria
Officials forecast rising household incomes as cooperative governance returns higher margins to smallholders instead of middlemen.
ACROSS Country Director Peter Logunu calls the model “evidence that community-driven commerce remains the quickest peace dividend”.
Launch Countdown and Community Vigil
An official opening date will be released before the next planting season, according to county headquarters, allowing farmers to align input purchases with rains.
Community radio spots already urge residents to form buyer groups and draft by-laws to keep the facility transparent and profitable for future generations.